Fez

Unlike Tetouan or Chefchaouen, Fez is not visited on a stopover: its distance (nearly 4 hours) and above all the richness of its medina mean you must sleep there. Count on at least two full days to grasp the essentials, three to truly tame it. It is a city where you get lost on purpose, where every alley reveals a workshop, a fountain, a medersa. For anyone landing in Tangier who wants to discover authentic imperial Morocco, Fez is the unmissable cultural stage, to be organized as a stay rather than a flying visit.

Fez el-Bali: the medieval medina, a maze of 9,000 alleys, the heart of the visit. The Bou Inania Medersa: a masterpiece of Merinid art, zellige and carved cedar wood. The Chouara tanneries: the spectacle of colorful dye vats, seen from the terraces. Al Quaraouiyine: a mosque and the world's oldest university (9th century). Nejjarine Square and its museum of woodwork arts, its zellige fountain. Bab Boujloud: the monumental blue gate, an emblematic entrance. The ramparts and Merinid tombs: for a panoramic view of the medina at sunset.

Fez is the capital of Moroccan craftsmanship. In the medina, trades have been passed down for centuries, organized by quarter: coppersmiths hammering brass, weavers, potters with the characteristic Fez blue, leatherworkers and above all the famous tanneries. Buying here means buying at the source: leather, ceramics, carpets, copper. But Fez is also a great spiritual and scholarly center, which lends its atmosphere a particular gravity. A local guide is valuable, even essential, to avoid getting lost and to understand what you see.

Fez cuisine is considered the most refined in Morocco, the legacy of a long urban and bourgeois tradition. Pastilla: the great sweet-and-savory classic, with pigeon or chicken. Elaborate tagines with dried fruit and spices. Mechoui and feast dishes. Fassi pastries of great finesse. Dining in a medina riad, in a fountain courtyard, is part of the experience. As the city is less geared to mass tourism than Marrakech, the food is often more authentic.

From Tangier to Fez, allow about 300 km and 3 hrs 45 by motorway, via Sidi Kacem and Meknes. It is a direct and comfortable journey, without difficulty. For a traveler without a vehicle, a door-to-door private transfer is the most practical option: pickup in Tangier city, at the port or the hotel, and drop-off directly at your riad in the Fez medina — invaluable given how hard the old city is to navigate. A train also links Tangier to Fez, but with a change and longer travel times than a direct transfer.

Where to sleep: a riad in the medina for total immersion (but luggage must be carried through the alleys), or the new town for modern comfort. Ideal duration: two nights minimum, three to breathe. Guide recommended: the medina is a real labyrinth; an official guide avoids getting lost and the hassle. Flat shoes: cobbled, sloping, sometimes slippery ground. Cash: essential in the medina. Respect: a spiritual and conservative city, modest dress appreciated. Mules and donkeys still carry goods: stay alert in the narrow alleys.